Autumn Spice Cupcakes!

What a cozy weekend! Last night I carved pumpkins and watched scary movies with my family and today I got to get sushi and make cupcakes with my lovely friend Lauren! The house was decorated for Fall and smelling like apple spice and pumpkins so I thought it appropriate for us to make warming spice cupcakes!


Thanks for your help and wonderful job on the buttercream rosettes, Lauren!! :)

Autumn Spice Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup                            Unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup                               Sugar
2                                      Eggs, room temp
1 and 1/3 cup                  All-purpose flour
1 tsp.                               Baking soda
1 tsp.                               Baking powder
1 tsp.                               Salt
1 tsp.                               Cinnamon
1 tsp.                               Ginger
1 tsp.                               Nutmeg
1 tsp.                               Pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup                           Milk



Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together and add to butter mixture slowly on low speed. Add vanilla. Add milk slowly until fully incorporated. Scoop into cupcake liners (makes 12 cupcakes) and bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). Let cool.

Spiced Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 cup                            Unsalted butter, room temp
4-5 cups                          Powdered sugar
1 tsp.                               Pure vanilla extract
1 tsp.                               Cinnamon


In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream butter until lightened. Slowly add powdered sugar on low speed until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla and cinnamon.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes!

Its officially Fall!!! And I'm..... COLD..... So as I bundled up to gather mini pumpkins from the garden I thought why not bake some pumpkin cupcakes to warm the house up a bit? (But also get the whole house smelling like yummy goodness).... So I did! And you know what I did while these babies were baking? I curled up in a blanket, drank chocolate tea, and watched Cupcake Wars..... Um...YES! Yes I did.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes!

 

 Ingredients:

3/4 cup                                 Unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups                                   All-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 tsp.                        Baking soda
3 tsp.                                     Cinnamon
1 tsp.                                     Ginger, ground
1 tsp.                                     Salt
1 and 1/2 cups                      Sugar
1/2 cup                                 Light brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups                      Pumpkin puree
3                                           Eggs, large
1/2 cup                                 Sour cream


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. Melt butter in a medium saucepan until browned (swirling every once in a while). Remove from heat and let cool (but not solidify). In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, beat sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, eggs, and sour cream together until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture until incorporated. Slowly pour in melted butter until fully incorporated. Scoop into cupcake liners and bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). Let cool.

Cinnamon Frosting:

1 and 1/2 cups                            Sugar
1/4 cup                                       All-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups                           Milk
1/4 cup                                      Heavy cream
1 and 1/2 cups                           Unsalted butter, soft
1 tsp.                                         Pure vanilla extract
2 tsp.                                         Cinnamon


In a medium saucepan on medium heat, whisk together sugar, flour, milk, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and let thicken (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and place in a mixer with fitted paddle. Beat on high until mixture is cooled. Add soft butter slowly until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla and cinnamon.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes!

Sooo it may be a little early... but its officially fall for me when the fall issue of Food Network magazine comes out! And in this particular issue they have steps on how to make a cake that LOOKS like a  giant "caramel apple." Sooo it gave me the idea to make an apple cupcake (made with real apples) and dip it in caramel like a real caramel apple? These are super easy and festive... but if you have a personal favorite caramel recipe.. USE IT! (Psssssst! These would even be tasty salted)

Caramel Apple Cupcakes!

 

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups                       Sugar
1/2 cup                                  Brown sugar
2                                            Eggs, room temp
1/2 cup                                  Unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp.                                     Pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups                      All-purpose flour
1/2 cup                                 Whole wheat white flour
1 tbls.                                   Cinnamon
1 tsp.                                    Baking soda
1 tsp.                                    Baking powder
4                                          Apples (granny smith, macintosh, gala...), small, shredded


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners (YES I USED HALLOWEEN LINERS). In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and melted butter. In a medium sized bowl whisk together AP flour, whole wheat white flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture slowly until fully incorporated. Fold in shredded apples. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). 


Let cupcakes cool completely.

Caramel:

1 and 1/2 cups                     Chewy caramel candies
1 tbls.                                   Heavy cream



In a small microwavable bowl, mix together caramels and cream. Heat until melted and combined. Dip or drizzle cooled cupcakes.
 

Spiced Green Tomato Cupcakes!

The garden at my parents house is a jungle... Seriously... There are mysterious creatures living in the abyss of the tomato plants..... And boy there are more (green) tomatoes than we know what to do with!... And well, the zucchini cupcake and the carrot cupcake have been done and done and done and done............ Lets get a little adventurous shall we?

Spiced Green Tomato Cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups                     Green tomatoes, pureed
1/2 cup                                 Unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups                                   Cane sugar
2                                           Eggs, room temp
1 tsp.                                    Pure vanilla extract
2 cups                                  All-purpose flour
1 tsp.                                    Baking soda
2 tsp.                                    Ground cinnamon
1 tsp.                                    Ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp.                                 Ground ginger
1/4 tsp.                                 Sea salt, fine
3/4 cup                                 Raisins
1/2 cup                                 Walnuts, chopped


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line two standard muffin pans with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. Add green tomato puree. In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to tomato mixture on low speed scraping down sides of bowl. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). Cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting:

8 oz.                           Cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup                       Unsalted butter, room temp
3-4 cups                     Powdered sugar
1 tsp.                          Pure vanilla extract
                                   Chopped walnuts (optional, for presentation)

In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, beat cream cheese until softened. Add butter and beat until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla.
 
  

Vegan Birthday Cake Oreo Cupcakes!

I am not sure how I was the last to find out that Oreos are (accidentally) vegan... Needless to say I am very pleased.... very VERY pleased (HUGE SMILE ON FACE).... And I about lost it when I found out about BIRTHDAY CAKE OREOS...............MMmmmmkay I'm good. Try these out!

ATTENTION NAUGHTY VEGANS!

BIRTHDAY CAKE OREO CUPCAKES

 

Ingredients:

1 cup                    Vanilla almond milk or soy milk
1 tbls.                   Apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup                 Canola oil
3/4 cup                 Cane sugar
1 tsp.                    Pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/3 cup       All-purpose flour
3/4 tsp.                 Baking soda
1/2 tsp.                 Baking powder
1/4 tsp.                 Salt
                             Vegan sprinkles
4 or 5                    Birthday cake oreos  OR Newmans O's (if you are going for semi-healthier)


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, mix together almond milk and vinegar, set aside (until it looks curdled). In a mixer with fitted paddle, mix together oil and sugar until fluffy. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add dry ingredients to sugar/oil mixture. slowly add almond milk mixture while mixer is on low speed. Fold in sprinkles and crushed oreos. Drop evenly into cupcake liners and bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). Cool completely. Makes 12 (perfect) cupcakes. 

Vegan vanilla buttercream:

1 cup                           Vegan butter sticks
4-5 cups                       Powdered sugar
3 tbls.                           Vanilla almond milk or soy milk
                                     Clear vanilla extract (to taste)
                                     Vegan sprinkles



In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, beat butter until lightened. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in milk and vanilla. Fold in sprinkles.
















 

1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sunflower or canola oil
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup organic all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt - See more at: http://cupcakesandkale.blogspot.com/2011/06/vanilla-cupcakes.html#sthash.8JUbmqBB.dpuf

1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sunflower or canola oil
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup organic all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt - See more at: http://cupcakesandkale.blogspot.com/2011/06/vanilla-cupcakes.html#sthash.8JUbmqBB.dpuf

Banana Split Cupcakes!

Hot summer days like this make me sentimental to my childhood.... When my sister used to work at Coldstone and every summer day my mom would drive me and whichever hooligan of a friend I had over for an ice cream. (Sighhh).......... If you want to get extra fancy with these cupcakes try filling them with chocolate genache! or maybe add chocolate chips to the cupcake batter.... YUM!

Banana Split Cupcakes!

 

Ingredients: 

3 cups                               Cake flour
1 and 1/2 tsp.                    Baking soda
3/4 tsp.                              Baking powder
3/4 tsp.                              Sea salt, fine
4                                       Bananas, super ripe, mashed
3/4 cup                             Buttermilk
1/2 tsp.                             Pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup                             Unsalted butter, room temp
1 and 1/2 cup                   Brown sugar
3                                       Eggs, large, room temp


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcakes liners. In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl stir together bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated scraping down sides of bowl as you go. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture until fully incorporated. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean).

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup                                 Unsalted butter, room temp
5-6 cups                            Powdered sugar
                                          Clear vanilla extract, to taste
                                          Sprinkles, cherries, waffle cone, banana chips, melted chocolate (for decoration)
                                         

In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream butter until lightened. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated and creamy. Beat in vanilla (to taste preference).  

Vegan Blueberry Streusel Cupcakes!

Its blueberry season!!!... And I have been stocking up. I used to LOVE fresh blueberry cheesecake and putting fresh blueberries in my cereal in the summer (Well I still do but since I have a dairy allergy I have had to do things a little different).... *The frosting can be made vegan OR regular

Vegan Blueberry Streusel Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 cup                        All-purpose flour
1 cup                                     Raw sugar or regular sugar
1 tsp.                                     Baking powder
1 tsp.                                     Baking soda
1/2 tsp.                                  Sea salt, fine
1 cup                                     Almond milk
1/2 cup                                  Canola oil
2 tsp.                                     Vanilla extract
1 tbls.                                    Apple cider vinegar
                                              Brown sugar/melted vegan butter/flour/cinnamon mixture, for sprinkling
1 cup                                     Fresh blueberries


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, beat together sugar, almond milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add dry mixture to wet ingredients, scraping down sides of bowl. Fold in blueberries. Use and ice cream scoop to scoop batter into cupcake liners. Sprinkle brown sugar streusel on top on cupcakes. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean).

 Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick                            Vegan butter, room temp
8 oz.                               Vegan cream cheese, room temp
1 cup                               Light or dark brown sugar
                                        Vegan streusel, for sprinkling


In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, beat together vegan butter and vegan cream cheese until well dispersed. Beat in brown sugar.